• How was newly-elected Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland’s first day on the job? “It’s going as good as any first day can,” said Holland’s assistant Sandra Henderson. “Everyone has been very helpful, but we’re up to our elbows in alligators.” He’ll announce some new staff additions later today. Longtime staffer Frankie Knight has left, as has spokesperson Erin Moody.
• BellSouth’s Jim McCollum will likely get a second term on the Jacksonville Airport Authority board. He’s a mayoral appointee and JAA Chairman Ron Weaver has asked Mayor John Peyton to approve a second term.
• Two of the manatees that used to be scattered around downtown wound up at the beach. One was donated to the City of Atlantic Beach and the other was donated to Neptune Beach Elementary.
• Speaking of the beach, the 59th Annual Opening of the Beaches parade is this Sunday at 2 p.m. Dozens of organizations will participate and 23 floats are scheduled to traverse the Jacksonville Beach route.
• Cafe Athena is relocating and will be closed for a couple of weeks. Chef Jayvee Vigor said he is looking at a site on Adams Street.
• Careerbuilder.com had a van outside the Bank of America building Monday offering folks looking to make a career change help. Their slogan was “Office gone bananas?” and they were giving out banana-shaped and flavored candy.
• Those murals on the front doors of the Arena last week? They were done by kids as part of the Vision is Priceless fundraiser held in conjunction with the Disney on Ice production of Monsters, Inc. that was at the arena Wednesday through Sunday.
• New Council members Ronnie Fussell and Richard Clark were assigned to the same Council committees as their predecessors with one exception. Suzanne Jenkins took over for Jerry Holland on the Land Use and Zoning committee.
• Local wireless Internet company Joytel Wireless is preparing an office for itself in Independent Square. It is moving into the old photography store on the first floor.
• It’ll be a real treat for the moms this Mother’s Day as Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra conductor Fabio Mechetti leads the JSO at the “Pops at the Beach” Mother’s Day concert. The event kicks off at 6 p.m. on May 8 at the Seawalk Pavilion with the Dot Wilder Jazz Quartet. The JSO takes the stage at 8.
• Jim Rink Park in San Marco is being primed for new artwork. “Coming Home,” a depiction of two oversized sails, should be installed within the next few days. A tribute to Rink, an avid boater in his day, the bronze sails measure more than nine feet tall.
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